Fluorescent tube socket



Jan. 11, 1944. H. RosEN'rl-IAL 2,338,970

FLUORESCENT TUBE SOCKET Filed OCT.. 3l, 1941 2 SheS-Sheeh l INVENTOR.

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TTOK/VEX Jan. 11, 1944. H. RosENTHAL FLUORESCENT TUBE SOCKET Filed Oct. 3l, 1941 2 She-es-Sheecl 2 INVENTOR. HARRY Rosas/nmz.

A Troie/v5 w Patented Jan." 11, 1e44 as lelvrsrvrI FFICE FLUORESCENT TUBE SOCKET Harry Rosenthal, Belle Harbor, N. Y.

Application October 31, 1941, Serial No. 417,377

2 Claims. '(Cl. 173-328) vis ordinarily provided with terminals or prongs at its opposite ends, usually two prongs per end. It has been found convenient to provide a socket for each end, said sockets being predeterminedly spaced apart, and the luminescent tube .being slid in sideways or from the top, the socket also accommodating a starter relay or tube, for instance below the luminescent tube.

Lamps and tubes of this type have rapidly come into commercial use, and the sockets used in connection therewith are faulty as to electrical and mechanical performance and safety, and are also lacking from a point of view oi convenience of handling. Thus the tubes would require nimble and expert manipulation, or several manipulations, for purposes of insertion in the socket, or for purposes of removal therefrom. lf a tube is not properly handled for insertion or removal, it may break in the hand oi' the operator. l

Such disadvantages oi the prior art are to be overcome by the instant invention. Generally, the required manipulation is to 'oe simpliiied. A predetermined guidance for insertion is to be provided, fixedly allocating the device relately to the point of rotation. Thereupon rotation of the device places it into proper and secure contact.

. safety of persons handling the equipment or coming close to it.

Furthermore a socket of this invention has the object of pneventing the insertion of tubes or h large area oi contact is assured for the electrical connection.

Other objects of this invention will be learned from the following exemplary explanation of the details of specic embodiment of the invention,

which is rendered for the purpose of illustration,

but notinlimitation of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig.- 1 shows the iront elevation of a device of this invention, which is partly sectioned away, where a starter S is inserted,` therein. A luminescent tube L is shown lin, dot-dash lines, once in a position of first insertion, and then again in a final position, .the characters being in the latter position connoted by sumxes a.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view which is partly sectioned in the plane of the prongs of tube L, the latter being in its lilrst position of insertion, and being shown to' part of its length only.

Fig. 3 is the iront elevation of another embodiment of this invention, which is cross-sectioned at the plane pointed out by dot-dash lines, arrows and numerals 3 in Fig. 5 herein.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding rear view in which the fiat rear cover is removed. f

Fig. 5 is a corresponding top view.

Fig. 6 `is a corresponding bottom View, the hat bottom cover being removed.

Figs. 7 and 8 are corresponding side views, ofy

the spring contactors shown in. Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 relates to another embodiment, oi which a portion near the top is shown in a iront view.

Fig. l@ is a front elevation of an embodiment in which the staer relay tube is directly accommodated in the portion oi the. slots which serve to receive the uorescent tube.

Fig. 11 is o. corresponding side view, the device being cross-sectioned at the center.A

Fig. l2 is a corresponding rear view of the housing only.

Fig. i3 is the front elevation oi the upper oortion of another socket in this invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the various views.

The device is shown to have a rear compartment il and a bottom compartment ii, to which are attached by suitable screws at i5 the rear and bottom covers i3 and if?, respectively. In the rear compartment il arises towards the back the backbone i6, which may run centrally to a point, as shown in connection with. the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 3-12.

In the modiiication of Figs. l. and 2, said backbone i6 is upwardly delimited at the left by a vertical slot il in the front of a compartment il,

parts and at the top and on the other side by aslot I8 extending over a quadrant, merging at the top with slot I1, and disposed at a circle described by the prong I9 of a luminescent tube, when said prong I9 is swung around the other prong 20 of luminescent tube L, after said latter prong has,

been inserted into an end or bottom position in vertical slot I1.

For operation a mate of the electrical socket illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is arranged opposite to the socket "shown at a distance allowing the body of luminescent tube L to be lowered between i said sockets, said mate being symmetrical with the electric socket shown, so that the slots I1 and I8are in registering alignment. The prongs I9 and 20 at the opposite ends of a luminescent tube L are ordinarily also aligned in one plane, so that the luminescent tube L may be lowered straight down between the two electrical sockets,

onto the backbone I6 .arising in the rear com.. partment where the upper end of said backbone is delimited by the slots I1 and I8. When a prong I9 or 20 is forced down in one or the other of these slots, it pushes aside the upper end of the respective spring contactor 2| or 22, and is then firmly socketed below said upper end of the spring contactor at the bottom of the respective slot. The mounting of the spring contactors conforms to the arrangement generally known in the art, i. e. the fixed lower ends of the spring contactors serve as binding posts for electrical connection. 'Ihe arrangement of the device of Figs. 1 and 2 is similar in this respect to the details shown in the drawings in connection with the second embodiment, in respect to which a further explanation is given below (Figs. 3-8).

When, for purposes of mounting it in a pair of sockets, a luminescent tube L is pressed down, the prongs I9 and 20 being in vertical alignment and descending in slot I1, a stopwill first be reached, in which the prong 20 is engaged in its ultimate position by spring contactor 22, such position of the device being shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Then the prong I9, which is above prong 20 in the vertical slot I1, is swung around prong 20 into and through slot I8 into the position |9a,

which it has reached after pushing the free end of spring contactor 2| out of the way, being then rmly lodged below the projecting upper end of said spring contactor 2|.

For purposes of removing a luminescent tube L the operation is reversed, i. e. prong I9 is rst swung out of a position |9a, in which it, is horizontally aligned with prong 20, around said prong 20 into a position of vertical alignment with said prong 20. Then the luminescent tube is vertically lifted out of slot I1.

Tubes S, which serve as starter relays, are normally provided with collars C at or near the ends of their pair of prongs P, such collars usually being provided with a V-groove, as shown, so that a clip of round wire, serving as a spring contactor, may engage in said groove, and will retain the tube S in the mounted position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By necessity the contact of such a spring clip with the collar C must be a point contact, which is notoriously poor and unsatisfactory, and that is improved upon by spring contactors provided by this invention serving for engagement of tubes S asit is explained in detail below.

While the arrangement of the electrical socket for engagement upon the luminescent tube, as shown in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2, provides for particular safety and convenient handling, it involves the one disadvantage, that a mated pair of such electric sockets cannot Abe alike, unless there is a duplicate slot arrangement, which leads to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 9. There a vertical slot 23 on each side and the curved cross-slot 24 allow the second prong to be swung out of either Aone of the vertical slots into the bottom of the other one of the slots, after the first prong has been first allocated at the bottom of the first vertical slot.

As a point of simplification and suitable for practicable purposes the separate entrances 25 and 26 of an embodiment of Fig. 9 may be replaced by a common entrance. This consideration leads to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 etc., where the backbone I6 still confronts the two slots 21 and 28, which are curved, so that the second prong may be swung into and out of an operative position in one slot around the other, yfirst prong seated at the bottomor end of the first slot. But the two slots merge at the top by way of a common entrance, and prefer-A ably an upward extension 29 provides a wall to the rear of the back compartment ||,l as shown, in order to protect the second prong, when it is still in a swingable position, after the first prong has been lodged at the bottom of slot 21 or slot 28.

l From the rear view of Fig. 4 we learn, that the spring contactors 2| and 22 may be stiffened by lugs 30 arising in the rear compartment II onf opposite sides of the backbone I6 thus also furnishing relief for the reaction at the binding post l ends 3| and 32 caused by actuation of spring contactors 2| and 22, respectively.

The compartments and I2 and their covers I3 and I4 are preferably made of an insulatingl material, such as a plastic, and on the top side compartment I2 is provided with a circular recess`-I 33, serving to receive the lower end of the bodyf of tube S. Diametrically opposite circular 'openings 34 in the base or bottom wall of said recess 33 clear the collar C depending by way o! prong Pfrom tube S, so that such collar C may drop clearing in width the two prongs P, thus permitting the tube S to be put, after insertion, through a so-called bayonet lock movement.

On the underside of said base or bottom wall of recess 33 extend the flat spring contactors 38 and 31, which are mounted at their fixed ends ends, the edges of the slots registering with the circular opening 34 and with the sides of arcuate y slots 35, except at 8|, where they will snap over the prongs inserted therebetween.

Flat spring contactors 38 and 31 are in abutment with the underside of the bottom wall of recess 33, where the edges of their slots register with circular openings 34, and up to the projecting clawing edges 3|, where said circular openings merge with said sides o! arcuate slots 35. But from there, and where the edges or 'tric socket.

aesaew said slots of the lcontractors Il and 21 register with the arcuate slots 3l, said contactors 3l and 31 are dropped, i. e. are curved away,'out ofabutment with the underside of the base `or bottom wall of recess 33, these curved portions 3l and 40 being more particularly pointed out in the views of Figs. 1 and 8, respectively.

When a tube S is dropped into the circular recess 33, the collars C thereof being dropped through the circular-openings 34, then the top sides of the collar C will clear the bottom sides of those portions of contactors Si and 31, which are in abutment-with the underside of the bottom wall of circular recess 33. Butwhen the tube S is then turned in bayonet lock fashion. the top sides of collar C ride unto the curved portions 33 and 40 of contactors 3i and 31, thus being frictionally secured in position,'when the prongs P reach the far ends of the arcuate slots 35, the collar C having at the same time slid into good electrical contact with the-.contactors 36 and 31. By a reversal of the bayonet lock movement tube S may be removed from my elec- Edges 8| prevent loosening by chance. I

The wall portions 6| and 62, which outwardly delimit the slots 21 and 28, might be longer so that they also come closer together than shown, and that the electrical protected feature of' an upward extension 29 would become unnecessary. But in the arrangement of Figs. 3-8 and 10-12 practical considerations have led to a shorter design for wall portions 6| and 32. Beingshort as they are, these walls 6| and 82 will clear the second prong of a tube swinging around its first prong, whenvsuch iirst prong is socketed at the Abottom of the respective slot 21 or 23. The second prong may swing or will be swung in such fashion., for instance, when a tube Ais rotated around the positioned first prong for purposes of removal from the socket. Since at times considerable force, is applied in such rotation, the second prong having to disengage from underneath spring contacter 22 or 2|, that second prong would strike a wall 8| or 62, if such wall protrudes into the swinging path ofthe prong and the end of the insulated material oi.' such wall 6| or 82 may snap or break oil'. The said arrangement of clearance and a provision of a protective feature like the extension 29 have therefore been found desirable.

` The curving of such walls Si and 62 in con ormity with the outside of slots 21 and '2B has are locked bythe converging opposite walls 3| and l2. As a matter of fact the lamp mayonn-` tinue in operation in such a position, as long vas spring contactors 2| 'and 22 still engage electrically upon the prongs, although such spring contactors have ceased to be capable of mechanically retaining and supporting the prongs. l

According to a customary method ofy wiring applied to sockets of this invention, one prong each of the tube L and of the starter tube S have a common terminal. It may prove to be of advantage, more particularly for purposes of simplitlcation of the sockets, to lallocate these prongs closer together in the socket. lIt may also be desirable, as an electric feature. that the Vcircuitof the starter tube be automatically broken, if and when the tube L is not properly socketed. Thus it may prove to be of advantage, that a tube L keeps functioning, once it is in operation, although oneend thereof is not retained any more by, though still in contact with the re- 'I spective spring contactors 2| and 22,-as it was suggested in the preceding paragraph. In that case the walls @i and 82 still prevent the said end of the tube to fall out, and the spring contactors 21 and a8 still are electrically engaged rest in said slot l2B of the housing and 52 at its upper and lower end, respectively, which provide connecting means electrically equivalent to the i prongs P of the relays or tubes shown in the proved to be a feature of particular usefulness.

offering a contrast with an advantage over the straight slots Bii and 26 of the embodiment oi' Fig. 8 or similar arrangements of the prior art: When a tube is hung, for instance from a ceiling, the opposite sockets will be in upside down position. lin that case the tube relies in the iirst instance upon spring contactors 2i and 22 4 'as a means for proper suspension in the inserted position, and exclusively so, if in accordance with the arrangement shown in Fig. 9, or in accordance with a similar arrangement of the prior art, the two prongs at one end of the tube may drop, straight down from the straight slots, after the respective spring contactonsv 2| and 22 have given way. if the tube thus swings down at one other embodiments. These contact studs 5| and 52 are tensionally engaged in dents of contact lugs 63 and 5t, so that current will pass between contact lugs tu and 5t through the interposed relay or tube S, which may be replaced at will. The base 5'@ of the device may be suitably secured upon a support,v the drawing showing for instance a slot in hase i5? for such purpose, in the manner sirniiar to that illustrated -in the other embodiment through which a bolt may be extended for fastening the device upon a support. The three lower ends of the spring contactors di and 62 and contact lug 5@ are simply shown to extend troni the bottom of the device for pses ci suitable connection.. ln accordance with the teachings of the prior art, these hat springs may or course be cut short and provided in the with screws serving to attach electric thereto, it was illustrated previously herein.

Spring contactera iii and i2 are mounted upon opposite sides and lower contact lug du in a recess titi on the rear of a projection l? in the base l'i forming part oi' the insulated housing. These spring contactors fill and BZz and lug 5@ are iastened by screws iii upon projection dll. Opposite sides o. base t5? may be provided with sultable clearance holes Gti, through which access may be obtained ior fastening screws le of the spring contactors il and 32.

For purpose ci resiliency the other dented upper end of the lower lug 5@ is shown to be spacedly folded bacia upon itself and it is shown to extend below the top wall portion of base 51.

I Therefore the lower end of starter relay or lug S is first inserted to engage behind such top wall before the starter relay or lug S is swung -upon a contact lug 43, which directly connects to the starter tube S, as will be hereinafter described.

Those are collateral features of an arrangement like that shown in Figs. -12. 'I'he principal departurerfrom the prior art illustratedby these figures is that the starter relay or tube S is accommodated right in that portion of the socket, e. g. compartment II, which serves to receive the prongs of the fluorescent or luminesportion, stud 52 seating in the dent oilug 50,

.cent tube L, so that an additional compartment,

e. g. I2, becomes unnecessary.

v relay or tube S. In yorder to provide room for such purpose, the spring contactors 2| and 22 of the previously described embodiment are replaced by spring contactors 4| and 42 which below swerve apart into close proximity with the opposite side walls of the compartments. The upper ends of these spring contactors, as well as the general arrangement of slots 21 and 28, of wall portions 6| and 62, of the extension 29, and of the cover panel I8 remain substantially the same as was described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 3-8.

The contact lug 43, which serves to block the lower end of one of the slots, e. g. 28, is mounted in a level position below the shortened backbone I8 and a struck up ear of said contact lug 48 is suitably attached, e. g. by fastening screw 45, in a corresponding recess'44 in the rear of backbone I8.

This contact lug 48, and its counterpart, a contact lug 50 below, are suited for engaging a starter relay or tube S therebetween. Starter tube S may for instance have -contact studs 5| and 52 at its upper and lower end, respectively, which provide connecting means electrically equivalent to the prongs P of the relays or tubes shown in the other embodiments. These contact studs 5| and 52 are tensionally engaged in dents of contact lugs 43 and 50. so that current will pass between contact lugs 48 and 50 through the interposed relay or tube S, which may be replaced at will. The base 51 of the device may be suitably secured upon a support, the drawing showing for instance a slot 58 in base 51 for such purpose, in the manner similar to that illustrated in the other embodiment through which a bolt may be extended for fastening the device upon a support. 'I'he threel lower ends of' the spring contactors 4| and 42 and contact lug 50 are simply shown to extend from the bottom of the device for purposes of suitable connection. In accordance with the teachings of the prior art, these flat springs may of course be cut short and provided in the socket with screws serving to attach electric wires thereto, as it was illustrated previously herein.

Spring contactors 4| and 42 are mounted upon opposite sides and lower contact lug 5|I in a recess 49 on the rear of a projection 41 in the base 51 forming part of the Ainsulated housing. These spring contactors 4| and 42 and lug 58 are fastened by screws 45 upon projection 41.

Opposite sides of base 51 may be provided with suitable clearance holes 48, through which access may be obtained for fastening screws 45 of the spring contactors 4| and 42.

For purposes of resiliency the other, dented upper end of the lower lug 50 is shown to be spacedly folded back upon itself and it is shown to extend below the top wall portion of base 51. Therefore the lower end of starter relay or Vlug S is flrst inserted to engage behind suchtop wall portion, stud 52 seating in the dent of lug 50, before the starter relay or lug S is swung from such partly inserted position S' into a fully inserted position, in which the upper contact 5I sziaaps into the dent in the bottom of contact lug i My tests and experiments with this kind of relay have proved, that they can be made smaller than now customary, although the proportionate room provided for relay S in the showing of Figs. 10-12 is large enough to accommodate presently known sizes of such relays or tubes.

Relay or tube S is exemplarlly accommodatedin an insulated housing having the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped with the contact studs 5| and 52 projecting from its opposite ends. The front panel of the relay tube S of Figs. 10-12 is preferably made oi'l light transmissive material, e. g. it is translucent or is perforated,las at 82, for the passage of light from or to the relay. It extends up as a flange 53, and when the relay tube S is inserted in the socket. the flange 53 extends partways over a depression 54 gouged out of the front of backbone I6, so that a fingernail or tool introduced into such depression 54 vmay be engaged underneath flange- 53 for purposes of lifting the relay or tube S from the position of insertion shown, said relay or tube S first being swung to the position S', and being'then withdrawn in an angularly upward direction.--

Risers 58, which may be considered as bifurcations extending from backbone I8 down to the projection 41, serve as side walls for the cache in which the relay or tube S is accommodated. One of these risers is separated from backbone I 8 by `a horizontal groove 55, which serves as a passage for the level portion of contact lug 43, contact lug 48 resting on top of the respective riser, where a prong of a tube L is firmly socketed by the spring contacter 42, on top of such lug and at the bottom of slot 28.

The caching'of the starter relay tube S does not have to be between the slots for the prongs' of a tube L, but such tube S may be accommodated elsewhere, for instance below such slots, as indicated in the view of Fig. 13. But Fig. 13 also serves to indicate, that a socket of this invention may be converted for specific purposes, as they are of usefulness with special lamps or tubes as follows:

While most luminescent or uorescent tubes issue an even glow in all radial directions, there are special tubes, which are adjusted for effecadjusted to any preferred angle'. The slots forv the prongs of the luminescent or fluorescent tube are, for instance,"arranged somewhat upon the principle illustrated in Fig. l, slots 83 and 84 of Fig. 13 corresponding to slots I1 and I8 of the modification shown in Fig. 1. One of the prongs of the luminescent or fluorescent tube may be rotatably socketed at the bottom of the vertical slot 8l, where it seats below the spring contactor 8l upon the lug It, and the latter serves at its other end as a spring connection for a fuse-pluglike starter relay B. 'I'he other slot. is concentric to said one prong seated at the bottom of slot Il, but is shown to extend, exemplarily, over much more than a quadrant. The spring 86, which serves to allocate the other. prong of a luminescent or iiuorescent' tube in said slot I4, extends in an arch in slot Il and is shown to be corrugated or crimped, each corrugation on the concave side of spring Il offering a pocket in which the secondv prong of a tube may be set at a preferred angle about the'rst prong lodged at the bottom of slot Il. A socket, which serves as a counterpart to the one shown in Fig. 13 will,

oi. course, be symmetrically arranged.'

v of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

, mounted in said housing behind said front vwall soastobeensasedbythelampcontactprongs' when seated at the closed ends of the slots. and means for attaching circuit wires to said con- -wall having a pair of slots therein longitudinallycurved towards `each other with a radius of curvature equal to the spacing of the contact prongs of a lamp to be used therein and open ended at a common aperture' at the end of the `25 1. A. fluorescent lamp socket comprising an insulating housing having ,a front wall, said vfront wall having a pair of slots therein longitudinally prongs of a lamp to -be used therein and open ended at a common aperture at the end of the housing of a width less than the spacing of the contact prongs. a pair oi' spaced contacts housing of a width less than the spacing of the lamp contact prongs. a pair o1' spaced contacts mounted in said housing' behind said front wall so as to be engaged by the lamp contact prongs when seated at the closed ends or the slots, means for attaching circuit wires to said contacts, and a ridge formed on the rear i'ace of the iront wall so as to lie between said slots, said ridge having a head with sides curved concentrically with said slots and aligned with the inner edges of said slots, said contacts being laterally offset adjacent the ridge head and closed ends ofthe slots so as to snap over the'lamp contact prongs when seated at the ends -of the slots.

Hanny no,srzu'r'rrleirs` 

